Reverend Hudson Lee Barksdale Jr.

Sunday

Jan 13, 2013 at 8:05 AM

WILMINGTON, NC-- Reverend Hudson L. Barksdale, Jr. was born into the loving arms of the late Honorable Dr. Hudson L. Barksdale Sr. and the late Katie K. Barksdale on August 2, 1948. On January 7, 2013, he once again felt the tender embrace of these and other beloved members of his family after waging a valiant battle with an extended illness.Those left to cherish Reverend Barksdale's memory are three loving daughters, Gina Barksdale Jenkins (Jeremy) of Charlotte, NC, Staten L. Barksdale and Siera L. Barksdale both of Charleston, SC; one devoted sister, Jeanne K. Harris; one nephew, Dr. Darryl Keith (Kim); two granddaughters, Gabrielle Nicole Jenkins and Gianna Clarke Jenkins; two stepdaughters, Star Jamison and Melba Jamison; five step-grandchildren, and a host of relatives, cousins, friends, and dearly supportive friends, Ms. Pamela Barksdale, Mrs. Brenda Barksdale Wingo, and Mr. Winston Wingo.A graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and Interdenominational Theological Center, Reverend Barksdale was a champion of his faith and the cause of social justice for over 40 years. In his youth, he stood on the front lines of the Civil Rights movement and fought for desegregation and racial equality by initiating protests and sit-ins within his treasured hometown of Spartanburg, SC.In the early years of his adulthood, he was named as one of the first marketing managers for the Southern Bell Telephone Co. The experiences Rev. Barksdale gained in this capacity as well as his work as a member of the Human Relations Committee for the City of Spartanburg prepared him to take the cause of social justice to Washington, DC as he served as the Minority Affairs Representative of the Fourth Congressional District under the Late Congressman and South Carolina Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Upon Campbell's election to the office of Governor of South Carolina, Hudson was named Director of Minority Affairs for the state of South Carolina. After completing this appointment, Hudson chose to fight inequality in the business and housing sector by establishing The Bowen Group Consulting Firm with comrades, Thomas Parham and Walter Rollins and later the Southside Neighborhood Action Partnership. He also served as a board member of the Spartanburg Stop the Violence Council.To Hudson, the word of God was the elixir to all societal ills. Reverend Barksdale served in various associate, interim and senior pastoral capacities: Trinity AME Church (Spartanburg, SC); Bethel Grove A.M.E. (Gray Court, SC); First A.M.E. Church (Spartanburg, SC); Gregory Congregational Church (Wilmington, NC). Reverend Barksdale also served as Minster of Community Programming at Franklinton Center in Rocky Mount, NC.The depth of Reverend Barksdale's passion for Christ, commitment to social justice, and deep concern for the youth in our community led him to serve as a charter member of the Spartanburg Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., a board member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and an adjunct instructor for Cape Fear Community College.A viewing will be held at the funeral home today, Sunday, January 13, 2013, from 3:00pm to 9:00pm. Services for Rev. Barksdale will be held Monday, January 14, 2013, at 12:00pm at Silver Hill United Methodist Church.Callaham-HicksFuneral Home